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Saturday, November 29, 2014

United Vote or Split Vote on Seattle Schools' Nyland for Super?

To have a split vote would look terrible (no matter how large or
small). For the purposes of whoever is driving this process, the Board should be united on who they pick; otherwise, it
signals no faith in the choice and/or the process.

It would also serve to isolate whoever votes no. In essence, they may become a present-day Mary Bass (the former director who frequently was the lone vote against many issues. She ended up being the canary in the coal mine for former Superintendent Olchefske's $30M+ unraveling.)

However, the courage to say NO is more valuable to them than any good will. It means they stand with the parents and community who knew that the search process had begun and expected them to finish it in good faith. Or, AT LEAST have the grace to tell people in a timely, rational fashion what they were going to do.

Here's how I see the vote.DefinitesBlanford (goes w/o saying)Marty (she's already said it)Sharon (she wrote it)

MaybeSherry - Although after her performance on the Gates Foundation grant it's likely to be a yes, Sherry has a lot of law and order in her and I don't know how much she will like coming to the table this way.

Harium - He's also a probably except that I am told that at his October meeting this subject came up and he said that some on the Board wanted no search but he thought it was a better idea to have one. Has he changed his mind? There's something to ask him.

No's*Sue Betty

*These two poor women are going to be under HUGE pressure to vote yes and will get hounded by the powers that be to do this.

I'm not sure I would blame them if they did but they would have my undying admiration and support if they say, "No, I won't be bullied." Because that's what this is.

A reader suggested to me that Nyland told the Board he will walk if not given the job outright. This is fairly plausible especially if some of the powers that be put a bug in his ear.

After this is all done, I'll tell you what I REALLY think about Nyland's thought process but I prefer to keep my own counsel at this point.

The board should not be bullied into ceding its power like this. Hiring a superintendent is one of their most important tasks. They should do so carefully and thoughtfully, rather than acting out of fear and threats. This entire process that's unfolding is indefensible and does not reflect well on the district, the board, or the interim superintendent.

"This time, the School Board is offering no organized opportunity for the public to weigh in beyond the chance to email board members or sign up for one of the limited number of two-minute public comment slots at Wednesday’s meeting. "

There's no reason the vote could not be scheduled for two weeks out, December 17. The Board is meeting that day anyway. They can include a special session for the vote. They have done special sessions for votes before. In fact they did one recently.

Whether the Board should choose Dr. Nyland or not is a question that we can discuss, but whether the Board should do it without an opportunity for public review, input, and comment is not a question worthy of discussion.

I attended Director Martin-Morris' October community meeting, and at that time he seemed to be very much in support of a full search for the permanent superintendent position. During his meeting, we discussed things like national -vs- regional searches, etc... From his report, it seemed like things were on track for a search to be conducted this fall/winter, and that the Board had been busy defining the search criteria, etc...

I really don't understand President Peaslee's repeated assertions that they "must act now" or dire consequences will ensue. Doesn't it feel like something is going on behind the scenes we aren't privy too?

After all, Mr. Nyland is quoted in the Times story as saying he'd stay "two, three maybe four years..." so it's not like this whole hoopla won't be happening again sooner rather than later.

What is the danged hurry? This whole scenario stinks...as Charlie points out -2 weeks would be that detrimental???

So maybe Gates and/or the City's ed dept are threatening to hire Nyland away if SPS doesn't install him immediately? And the board thinks if they play nice and please the powers that be they'll be rewarded in the end--either via more grants now, or lucrative jobs with a Gates org or the city when they're done with SPS? Money talks.

And WTF with McLaren complaining about time constraints and needing to specify a search firm by 12/3 at the absolute latest? Did they not know Nyland was interim? Did they no promise a full search when they appointed him? Sounds like screwed up and didn't act quickly enough on the search that was supposedly underway...

Half Full said McLaren complaining about time constraints and needing to specify a search firm by 12/3 at the absolute latest?....Sounds like screwed up and didn't act quickly enough on the search that was supposedly underway...

I think that's possible. The search was supposed to start in September. SPS has had more than enough things to keep them busy this fall.

Nyland also might have told SPS that he would resign if not immediately given the offer, but that would make more sense if he were a decade younger and looking to move to a more prestigious role to build his career. Nyland's nearly retired. If he did drive that bargain, what would he do if SPS turned him down? Calmly retire? Go to another district? Go back to doing leadership training, which he was doing after he retired from Marysville in 2013?

AGAIN, they have been working on this. I was at a Board committee meeting of the whole (and I think only Patu wasn't there) and they were going thru attributes, how to rank them for a search firm, etc.

It's not like they were not working on it. They stopped.

Why is the real question.

After the vote, I'll explain what I believe some of Nyland's thinking is.

Maybe he'll shed some light on this tomorrow night. If he avoids any questions, it's not good.

As long as we're all speculating baselessly, here's another possible way that it may have unfolded behind closed doors:

Board is working through the long list of attributes they want in a new Super. Somebody speaks up and says, "Doesn't that describe Nyland to a T?" Discussion of just hiring him ensues.

For the record, I don't have any inside information. This is just another possible scenario that I think satisfies Occam's Razor better than "this is how the powers that be want it" (although about as well as "appoint me permanent or I walk"). It's also a way to see the situation that assumes good intentions for everyone. I do think there should be an open hiring process.

I posted on another thread and I will post again here that as a parent who is active in special needs advocacy communities, I see the community engagement of our sped families and community partners as worse in this present administration of Mr. Nyland than any previous administration. Mr. Nyland has effectively dismantled his own sped advisory committee (SEAAC) and is not seeking out families and community partners for any of the ongoing regular reality checking and information sharing that would enable him to do his job better. And, after the release of all data about sped students to a vendor and then to a 3rd party, his administration abruptly canceled a previously scheduled meeting with the SPED PTSA. I'm sorry, but while I have not been a fan of these big superintendent searches I am surely not a fan of appointing somebody who does not seem to understand why he can do his job better if he is listening carefully to our sped families and community partners.

And for the record, the Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council, SEAAC? That is the Superintendent's advisory and advocacy council. It's been scheduled by unknown administrators for the time of day when our sped families are most challenged, 4.30pm on a weekday, and, though starting 5 months late the SEAAC (such as it is) is scheduled for every other month. There are only 2 returning board members from the previous year (both unable to attend a meeting at 4.30pm on a weekday) and anybody with a longer institutional memory or history has been taken off of the board.

Not seeing my question posted, will try again:Melissa, would you mind telling this newcomer what it means that Blamsford is a yes vote, "it goes without saying?"Just stsrting my learning in this topic/with SPS & the board.

SeattlePA, when you know the players, you can pretty well guess how they will vote. What makes it difficult are those who are switch-hitters or have been gradually moving away from the side they vote on.

Blanford is the powers that be friend. He seemingly does not really like working with parents/community. He hasn't been on the board long enough to really know the district well (and seemingly isn't trying that hard).

He DID say, at a committee meeting, that he wanted a national search. So he and Martin-Morris are on record as saying they wanted a search.

If that's true, then they should vote no but I don't know if either will.

"As long as we're all speculating baselessly, here's another possible way that it may have unfolded behind closed doors:

Board is working through the long list of attributes they want in a new Super. Somebody speaks up and says, "Doesn't that describe Nyland to a T?" Discussion of just hiring him ensues."

I suppose that's one possibility, but it surely doesn't explain why the rush. Has the board put together a description of what they're looking for in a Supt, and if so, does anyone know where we can find it?

@Half Full, I emailed the Board about the issue and got a response back from McLaren. Her response indicated that there was a document of what they were looking for, but I don't know if it's public. It may be protected under executive session for some time.

As far as the rush, I think Peaslee's statement can be taken at face value. They need to decide now whether they go to a search or whether they just hire Nyland. My read of the tea leaves is they got 90% of the way through the process to go to a search and then some number of directors decided that sticking with Nyland was better.

But again, I don't know anything other than what I read in the papers.

Education Acroynms

Advanced Learning - SPS' three-tier program for advanced learners. Made up of APP, Spectrum and ALOs. (Note: the name of the district program is "Advanced Learning Services and Programs" but these three programs fall under "Highly Capable Services" of AL Services and Programs.

ALO - Advanced Learning Opportunity, the third tier of SPS' Advanced Learning program

AP - Advanced Placement. A national program of college-level classes given in high schools.

APP - Accelerated Progress Program. One of the levels of the Advanced Learning Program. NOTE: the name of this program is now "HIGHLY CAPABLE COHORT." This change occurred in 2014.

ASB - Associated Student Body. High school leadership groups.

AYP - Adequate Yearly Progress. Part of NCLB.

BEX - Building Excellence. SPS' capital renovation/rebuilding program that is funded via the BEX levy. Every 3 years there is the Operations levy and either the BEX or BTA levies as those two levies rotate in six year cycles).

BLT - Building Leadership Team. Staff members at a school who meet regularly to discuss building issues.

BTA - Buildings, Technology, Academics. The major maintenance/other capital fund for SPS. Originally BTA was to cover major maintenance like HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), roofs, waterlines, etc.) but now covers wide swaths of items like athletic fields, technology and funding academic needs.

CAICEE - Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence. Created by former Superintendent Manhas in 2008, to issue a report about reform recommendations for SPS.

CSIP - Continuous School Improvement Plan, the plan for improvement for each school as required by state law.

EOC - End of Course Assessments, given in math and science, required for high school graduationESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the federal law that governs education, includes the NCLB accountability provisions.

e-STEM or e-STEAM - STEM or STEAM curriculum with an environmental focus.

FACMAC - Facilities and Capacity Management Advisory Committee. A district committee comprises of an all-volunteer citizen group created in 2012 to help bring research and ideas to capacity management issues in the district.

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. A federal law that protects students' privacy

FRL - Free and reduced lunch.

FTE - Full Time Equivalent

FY - Fiscal Year

Highly Capable Services - NEW name (as of 2014) as umbrella name for these programs: Highly Capable Cohort (formerly APP), Spectrum and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities).

HSPE - High School Proficiency Exam, state assessment that replaced the WASL for 10th graders, required for graduation

HQT - Highly Qualified Teacher, a standard set by federal law

IA - Instructional Assistant

IB - International Baccalaureate program. An international program of advanced classes that can either be taken as stand alone or as part of an overall IB program.

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal law that governs special education

MAP - Measures of Academic Progress. A computer-based adaptive assessment made by NWEA and originally purchased by the district for use as a district-wide formative assessment but now used for a wide variety of purposes.

MSP - Measurement of Student Progress, the state proficiency assessment that replaced the WASL for students in grades 1-8

MTSS - Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

NCLB - No Child Left Behind, a provision of the federal education law, ESEA, introduced during the George W. Bush administration